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# The Attorney General ofTexas
**Dcccmbrr 14.**  **1984 JIM**  **MAlTOX wxlIoy**  **GoIlwal**

**A lexu,**  **sune 702**  **noue1m. Et.**  **7mo2-3111 7lw22ssM2**  

### Bonorable JoeUancit:Bell Trinity county **Attorwy** 

### P. 0. moxan Groveton. fewa **Y!i845** 

### C~inioo No. 311-253 Be: Mbether
. chief deputyuy be **appointed** 

### tu l

sstsoor-collector **by** l **comieeionerr court**  

### of which her cousin ia 8nember DeerMr. Bell: You **otaca** 

### that e recency bes been cruted In tbe office of tax l ueuo r-c ollector :by **the** 

### dutb of the **incwbcnt** 

### whobed l erved l

inee Jenuery 1. 1961. 1Imchief deputy bes been continuously employedio **the** 

### office in var%uo poaitiono **for twenty-tuo**  **ycarr** 

### and **bar** 

### been 

### chiefdeputy **for** 

### :pGcera. She ia a **first** coud~~ of l c ountycomb

### sioner vhobea served continuously in office l iucc Jenuery 1. 1961. You **wk vhet** **’ her**  

### the colpireioners **court** 

### my 

## l ppoint **the** 

### chief deputy to fill the vecency without violetlag the nepotism l

### tetute. 

### Article5996e.V.T.C.S.. on nepotin. 

### provideo:

. r 

### Nooi'ficer **of** thie State
. . . **nor** my officer or .merbmr**of** eny State di&ict. county. city, school **district** or other upicipal **boud**
**. .**  **. dull**  **rppoint.** 

### or **vota for,**  **or confim**  the **appointlent to**  **any office,**  **pomitioa,** 

### clerbhip. **emp1OJY.t or**  **duty, of**  **eny** 

### parson **dated** 

### within 

### the **MCOI$ degree**  **.by**

### ,affinity **or** within **the third**  **degree** 'by conunyinity to the **perwn** w 

## l ppointdmaor l



### ovoting,ortoanyochermemberof **amy** 

### l **xh board** 
**. .**  **.** 

### vhen the ulery, 

### fem. **or** 

### compenu~tion**of** 

### aufh eppointee IS to be paid **for.** 

### directly **or** 

### i.ndlrectly, out **of** or **from** 

### public funds o:cfeeo of office of l

### ny kind or cberecter **utut*oever;** 

### provided, tlut 

### nothIn **herein coateinotl** 
**. .**  **.** 

### rbell **prevent** 

### the 

## l ppolntmeat. voting **for,** 

### or confirmation of my, pereoo **who** 

### shell hmc been contiououely employed**in** l 

### ny **such** 

### office. **PO61 tiOIL.**  

### clcrkehip, 

## l **nployment or**  **duty for**  **a period**  

### of two (2) **years prior**  **to** 

### the election **or eppoincment**  

### of **the** 

### officer or member **eppoint Lug.**  **VOCiIQ for,**  **or confirming**  **the eppointwnt.**  or to **the** election **or** 

## l **ppointment of** 



### D. 1128Honorable Joa Warner Bell - :?trge2 *(m-253)

the officer or ember related to such employee la rhe prohibited degree. First cousioa are related within rhe second degrea by conaenguinity. See Attorney General Opinions O-6221 (1944); O-4670 (1942). - The county 

### tax l aaesaor-collector holds an elective office. Tex. Conat. **art.** VIII. M14. 16. 16a; Tax Code r6.21. Thus. ordinarily the tax 

### l aeaaoor-collector 

### would be 

### ~alactad by **the** people end not appointed by the comlmi,c~oers court. The **court,** hovaver. is statutorily auth&ited to fill a vacancy ia this office until the next 

### generalelection. V.T.C.S. mrt. 2355. Article S996e. V.T.C.S.. bars the comisalonera court from appointing the firac 

### cousin, of a comiaaionar **to** any office or 

## l eploymaat
. Attorney Gencrrd. Opinions O-5452 (1943); 04987 (1942); uee also Attorney General Opinion 04670 (1942). The acetu~a pravantm any memberof the comissionera court from voting for

any pereon ralettd wlthin the second degree by affinity
. . . co t:ha person ao appointing or so voting. or to any other member of any such board.
. . . (Fmp~asia added). V.T.C.S. **art.** 

### S996a. Thus, nooe 

### of the coamiaaionara may vote to appoint the first cousin of a coamlasloucr to the vacant office of tex aaaaaaor-collactor. See **Attorney** Ganeral Opioioa O-3016 (1941). - You 

### raise the 

## l

xceptiou to article 5996a. V.T.C.S.. **for** a person employad by a governlog boa::d **for** two yaara contiauously prior to the alaction of hia ralaciva to that board and suggest it may apply in this eaea. It 18 irrelevmt to the problem before us. The tax aaeaaeor-collactor 

## l ppoiata hfa deputlaa; the cowiaalooer6 court cannot control or ioflueoce his aclectloa **of** individuals **for** tbat **post.** V.T.C.S. **art.** 3902; **Attorney** General Opioiona S-993 (1977); H-697 (1975); O-6221 (194A:). The deputy tax l

### asesaor wae oavar appointed by the commiuiontrr~ **court.** She therefore does ooc come within the two-year proviso 

### elf article5996a. V.T.C.S. SUMMARY

. The cowisaioncra court m6y not appoint the firet cowin of u commissioner 

### to the office of 

### countytaxeaaasacw-collector vacated 

### by the death of the incumbent.Ilowrable Joe Uitmer **Bell** - Pq;c 3 (JM-253)

.

**TOM CREW** 

I:icst Aralstanc Accorney General DAVlDR. RICHARDS Executive Aaaiscanr Attorney **Oc!ncral** RICKCILPIN ChaIrman, Opinion Committee Preparad by Suean L. Garrison **Assistant** Attorney General APPROVKD: OPINTONCOMMITTEE Hick Gilpin. Chairman Susan Garriaoo Tony Cuillory JimHoellinger Jenni~fcr Riggs Nancy Sutton